You might be thinking, how did Gyomei Himejima the stone pillar get so powerful? And that’s why we decided to find out, Why Stone Hashira aka Gyomei Himejima Is The Strongest Hashira?
Now in our recent article on Demon Slayer, we have ranked the Nine Hashira’s according to their power. And Gyomei Himejima is on top of the list. Gyomei Himejima does not have much screen time in the anime so far. But he has a large supporting role in the manga. And from the manga, it’s evident why he is the strongest Hashira.
Gyomei is physically stronger than his fellow Hashira’s. Wields one of the most amazing Nichirin blades in history. And also commands the respect of both Demon Slayers and Demons equally. Also, he is blind.
Also, Read List Of Weakest To Strongest Hashira: Demon Slayer.
Gyomei Himejima The Strongest Hashira:
The BackStory:
Back in the early days Gyomei considered nine orphans as his family and raised them. Gyomei always lit wisteria incense to keep those in the temple safe because of the forest surrounding it. The temple was plagued with demons, therefore there were severe laws not to stay out until dark. One of the children, however, broke the temple’s laws one night. Lingering past sunset and encountering a demon as a result.
Terrified, the boy sacrificed Gyomei and the other children to preserve his own life. Even put out wisteria incense and led the demon straight to the temple. While most fled in terror and were slaughtered. The youngest, Sayo, sheltered behind Gyomei.
Gyomei was determined to protect his family. So he fought the demon with his bare hands till dawn. Learning for the first time his inner power. The demon turned to dust at daylight, but when rescue arrived, Sayo blamed Gyomei for everyone’s deaths.
He was charged with murder and imprisoned. But Kagaya Ubuyashiki, the Demon Slayer Corps’ chief, saved him from execution. Gyomei began to have doubts and suspicions about a person’s true personality after that. Yet remaining highly emotional and sympathetic.
Powers:
Gyomei was named the Stone Pillar Hashira after only two months of training, demonstrating that his physicality and brute power are a force to be reckoned with. His combat prowess is undeniable. With only brute physical power and no blade, Gyomei was able to keep a demon away until daylight. His Nichirin Blade is one of the best-crafted blades in history, as he is the only Demon Slayer whose blade takes the form of an ax.
Gyomei used his superhuman hearing to adapt and follow the sound of the chain during the fight to track his weapon and supplement his lack of vision throughout his training. Gyomei is also a master of deductive thinking and strategies. During a fight against an Upper-Rank demon, he discovered the Transparent World, giving him the ability to “see” his opponents as if they were right in front of him.
Talking about his breathing technique. Gyomei uses Stone Breathing. One of the five original breathing styles comes from Sun Breathing. Stone Breathing is a complex and tough method to perfect. And imitates the ground and stone to generate consistency. Unchanging offensive and defensive abilities. Gyomei learned to heighten his other senses after being born blind. Which gives him a far stronger and more unique connection to the ground than most others.
Gyomei stretches his limitations by combining his Breathing Style with Repetitive Actions. Repetitive Action is a technique for achieving Total Concentration Breathing by opening all five senses. To improve concentration and draw out more power from inside. One can either repeat a series of familiar movements. Or recall a moment of tremendous agony and rage. Gyomei’s Repetitive Actions include continual prayer.
Personality:
Despite his formidable look, Gyomei epitomizes the gentle giant archetype, being surprisingly soft-spoken and compassionate. He’s also shown to be highly religious, often wearing his prayer beads and offering prayers in difficult situations. Gyomei, in particular, is prone to crying over trivial matters, emphasizing his soft character. This could be due to his religious upbringing instilling in him a love for all living creatures. As evidenced by the fact that he felt so disgusted by beating up a demon that he would never forget the feeling for the rest of his life.
Gyomei, like the rest of his Hashira clan, holds Kagaya Ubuyashiki in high regard. He is also one of Hashira’s most respected individuals, and his enormous strength has made him a symbol of hope. Gyomei also acts as a leader for them. As seen by his sitting at the head of a Hashira meeting and being the one trusted by Kagaya to give them commands.
Gyomei, despite his restrained demeanor, has a very objective and suspicious view of the people around him as a result of his experiences before becoming a Demon Slayer. He is always aware of what other people, especially children or those younger than him, are capable of if given the chance.
Trivia:
Here are some interesting facts about Our stone hashira.
- Gyomei was one of only two people, according to Tengen Uzui, who became a Hashira only two months after picking up a sword, the other being Muichiro Tokito.
- Gyomei is the only Hashira known to not wield a Nichirin Sword, preferring instead a set of linked axes.
- Apart from Muichiro and Shinobu, Gyomei is the only Hashira who has a personal relationship to an Upper Rank, namely Upper-Rank Six, Kaigaku. Kaigaku was one of Himejima’s orphaned children in the temple. And he would later be held directly responsible for the Demon attack that killed all the children except Sayo.
You can catch all the episodes of Demon Slayer on Netflix, Funimation. Or you can catch the manga on VIZ.com.